The Gunners are no better off now than when they sacked Unai Emery on November 29, with Ljungberg facing the same issues that the Spaniard faced towards the end of his reign in north London.

Arsenal have become far too reliant on the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette up front, with the defence not up to the required standard and a midfield lacking runners willing to give everything to the cause.

But Pepe insists that Ljungberg is trying hard to affect significant change behind the scenes, with it his belief that the players should be shouldering the blame for Arsenal's continued struggles.

"Freddie tries hard, he talks to us, but nothing has changed much in terms of results. It's down to us the players, not the coach," Pepe said after the Gunners' latest Premier League setback.

"Freddie is close to us because he used to be a player not long ago. He knows what we feel so it's easier for us to talk with him. We will continue to work hard to make things better and win again.

"We are not disturbed by the managerial situation. I had a similar situation in Lille [who had five different head coaches in 2017] and we kept going. With hard work, it will get better with Freddie or someone else."

Arsenal must now look ahead to a tough trip to Goodison Park on Saturday, where they will come up against a resurgent Everton side buoyed from a win over Chelsea and a draw at Manchester United under caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson.

"Us players have to do better quickly," Pepe added. "We have won only one game out of the last 12. It is not enough, we are Arsenal.

"It is about us, not the coach or anything else. We have to wake up quickly, starting against Everton."

It has been suggested that Ljungberg could be handed a permanent contract if he impresses during temporary charge, but in the meantime, Arsenal are considering alternative options.